Improvement in limb-supporters



UNITED SiATEs PATENTA OFFICE.

D. HENRY-B. ALLEN, on CHELSEA, VERMONT..

IMPRQVEMENT' IN LIMB-SUPPoaTEas.

` Spcciication forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,499, dated October 4, 1864.

Tou/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, D. HENRY B. ALLEN, of Chelsea, in the county of Orange aud State of Vermontfhave invented a new and Improved Supporter for a Person with a Fractured Leg; and Ido hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of the supporter,

u showing its application. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the upper portion of the same. Fig. 4 is a top View of the pad-piece which supports the weight of the body.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The object of this invention is to relieve a' fractured leg of the Weight of the body, and

. the bottom with a foot-piece to bear on the ground and `at the top with a pad-piece which comes under the buttock and supports the body at that point.

A A is the supporting-rod, of iron or steel, made in two pieces, ]'ointed at a in such manner as to bend at the knee. The lower piece, A, is attached lirmly to a light metal clasp,B, which iits around the lower limb, and the upper piece, AV', is attached iirmly to a similar but larger clasp, B, which iits around the thigh, the said clamps being suitably padded inside -and being divided longitudinally and made with `hinges b at the back, as shown in Fig. 3, to enable them to be put on and taken oii the limb, and with hooks and eyes c d, or other suitable fasteningsin front, to enable them to be secured upon the limb. Y i

The supporting-bar ycomes upon the outer side ofthe limb. The lower piece, A, ofthe said bar has its `lower end turned inward at a right angle for the attachment of a foot-piece, e, which comes under the foot, and which is also connected with A by means of an oblique Slotted brace, j, andscrew g, which permits the adjustment of the foot-piece to elevate or depress the front end thereof. `Underl the foot-piece there is secured a pad, h, of vulcanized india-rubber,.to enableV the foot-piece to come down easily on the ground. The piece A, with foot-piece and pad attached, should be -of such length that with the jointe opposite attached to it the adjustable iron or steel padpiece, C, which forms the bearing for the body..

The lower part of the pad-piece consists of a straight rod, which passes through two xed sockets, j j', secured firmly to the outside ofthe piece A, andthe upper part-is so formed substantially, asshown in Figs. 2 and 4, as to t around the back of the thigh and close under the buttock, and is padded, as shown at m, to make an easy bearing for the buttock. The straight portion of the pad-piece has a screw-thread, p, on lits lower part, and this screw-thread is fitted with a nut, la, which restsupon the lower socket, j, and which thus forms the principal support of the pad-piece. The piece A is also connected with the upper extremity of the padpiece C, which comes round the inner side of the thigh to the front, by means of an iron or steel brace, D, which passes obliquely across the front of the upper clasp, B', the said brace being bolted to the piece A, passing through a metal strap, l, on Y the front of the clasp, and having an eye at its upper end which receives the screwed upper end of the pad-piece C. A nut, n, placed on the'screw of the pad-piece in front ofthe brace D, serves to draw the back of the padpiece forward as close against the thigh and under 4 the buttock as may be desired.

The nut k serves to extend the supporter vertically, and by raising the pad-'piece under the buttock to relieve the legof the whole Weight of the body by throwing all on the foot-piece of the supporter. As the limb gains strength the nut k may be turned to lower the pad-piece a little, and so bring a portion of the Weight of the body on the limb, and as the strcngthincreases the nut maybe further turned in the same way from time to time to When the person is going to sit down for any length ottime, the pad-piece should be removed, Which is permitted by unscrewin g and' taking off'the nuts 'n and k, but for sitting down for a short time only the pad-pieee need not be removed. i

, This supporter allows the necessary ilexure of the llimb in walking, stooping, and all ordinary movements of the body, and gives a support only before obtained by a crutch. It is, however, more convenient than a crutch.

heel to prevent the foot-piece from working forward. v

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Thesupporter composed of a jointed supl afoot-piece, 6,-two clasps,

portingfrod, A A', B B, and a pad-piece, substantially as and specified.

2'. Combining the pad-piece C with the O, the Whole combined for the purpose herein 'upper part, A, of the supporting-bar by means of socket-s jj, aserew,j, and a nut, k, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

3. The fro-ntV brace, D, combined with the upper part, A', ofthe supporting-bar, and with the pad-piece C, substantially las and for the The instrument may be worn next the limb i purpose herein specified.

or outside of under-drawers, or on males may be Worn outside of the pantaloons.

There should be a strap applied around the Witnesses: D. HENRYB. ALLEN.

WM. F. DroKrNsoN, GEO. E. HYDE. i 

